Has the virtual removal of single-hulled tankers ended the risk of oil spills? Not actually. Despite the exuberance of natural resources minister Joe Oliver's rhetoric, double-hulls possess no magical powers. Their use has not ended the risk of accidents and oil spills.

The Harper Conservatives' lack of consultation with First Nations represents a dangerous narrow-mindedness. The same goes for the government's neglect of environmental protection. It is time to idle no more. It is time to speak out, for First Nations, and for Canadians as a whole.

Instead of attempting to craft a national transit strategy, which will inevitably entail picking winners and losers, the federal government should download fiscal capacity. That is, after all, the crux of the problem.

Minister of Transport Denis Lebel's Bloc Québécois story differs from that of Nycole Turmel's. He walked away from the separatist gang more than a decade ago, not months ago. And, of course, the biggest difference between them is that he's not the leader of the party.